(File photo) Photo: 123rf
A historic Canterbury road relay has been forced to change its route of more than 80 years, with Waka Kotahi saying it was not satisfied the traditional route would be safe.
The New Zealand Road Relay Championships was scheduled as part of the 82nd annual Takahe to Akaroa run.
Organisers confirmed the event would still go ahead next Saturday, but at Bottle Lake Forest Park instead of the iconic 76 km route.
Athletics NZ said Waka Kotahi told them last Friday the traffic management plan for the original route using state highway 75 did not meet the legal requirements.
A spokesperson said they worked on a solution over the weekend, but had to look for alternative options when they could not satisfy the regulatory requirements.
However, Waka Kotahi disputed that timeline, and said it had also warned the organisers a year ago that more changes would be needed to make the event safer.
Athletics Canterbury Cross Country and Road Committee chairperson Annette Campbell said the Takahe to Akaroa road relay was organised by a group of dedicated volunteers focused on delivering the best outcome for all participants
"Our group was therefore very saddened to find out last Friday night, despite all our work, interactions with authorities and consultants no workable solution for running the Takahe to Akaroa on the state highway was available. This was confirmed on Monday night," Campbell said.
"We know people will be disappointed, however we have shown we can adapt and together we have come up with a viable alternative."
Waka Kotahi said it was not satisfied the organisers had addressed significant safety concerns so the application was declined the day after it was submitted.
Its central and lower South Island regional manager Peter Brown said some of the concerns were raised after the 2021 race by the public and police, including at least one verifiable near-miss and other risks along the winding and hilly route.
Waka Kotahi advised the organisers last November that changes needed to be made if the event was to be supported, but found the traffic management plan for 2022 showed that little had changed, Brown said.
"We could not let people run in traffic lanes on the main route between Akaroa and Christchurch, confident that reasonable and adequate measures were in place to keep them and other road users like cyclists safe for this day-long run," he said.
In recent weeks, the speed limit was lowered to a maximum of 80 kph on State Highway 75, with some sections lowered further.
Brown said those speeds were still not survivable for a runner if they were hit head on by a vehicle.
The organisers had suggested the traffic speed for most of the 50 km State Highway 75 route to Akaroa be reduced to 30 kph for the ten hour duration of the race. But that was dismissed as unrealistic and unachievable by Waka Kotahi.
Other proposed changes, including 18 manual traffic control locations and other temporary speed limits, were not adequate or practical, Brown said.
"We have consulted with New Zealand Police and they have agreed there would have been limited driver compliance with the organiser's proposals over the length of the route and [they would have] resulted in substantial delays and frustration."
Waka Kotahi said it received the submission on 12 September and declined it on 13 September, saying other options to reduce the risk did not appear to have been considered.
Those measures included making it mandatory for runners to wear hi-visibility clothing, stopping parking along the road shoulders or using safer off-road options.
Athletics NZ competitions manager Jason Cameron said it was disappointing the event could not take place on the original course this year.
"However, we thank Athletics Canterbury for securing a new course at such short notice and for their ongoing efforts in helping prepare for what I'm sure will prove an attractive and memorable NZ Road Relay Championships for all competing teams and spectators."
The future of the Takahe to Akaroa relay, and whether it would take place in future years, were expected to be discussed post-event.